Show 244 STUDENT LIFE marks of violence on it only a tiny splash of blood at the lips His death must have been the natural result of the consumption and his crude burial must have been the work of his wife If Ole had killed him he certainly would not have built the mound where anyone coining to the camp must see it at once But where was the woman? An opening into a small patch of underbrush as if where some one had forced an entrance to the thicket attracted his attention and after replacing the stones he forced his way hi along the trail made until he reached a small opening There in the center was another rectangular mound of stones much like the one he had just left except that scattered among them and gleaming white in the semi gloom were the bones of a human skeleton He looked instinctively for the skull but it was nowhere in sight The right femur was also gone Lying on a large stone was a faded piece of clothing evidently the back part of a coat When he picked it up in a hope to identify the skeleton a heavy object tore its way through the rotten cloth fell to the ground and dozens of bright gold coins scattered in all directions A tarnished silver plate on what had been the purse bore the name “Orlando West” It was all clear to the cowboy now Big Ole had murdered West but had secured only the silver he carried failing in some way to find the gold He had concealed the body there and his visits to the top of the ridge were to ascertain if it had yet been discovered Find- ing the camp there had frightened him into his llight from the country and Rogers was certain that he had not returned and that he had had no hand in the present tragedy The woman had been alone at the death of her husband had buried him alone had discovered and pulled out the skeleton This and the absence of the skull and femur seemed to indicate that the mental strain had been too great that she had lost her reason Somewhere in that vast loneliness she must be wandering in grief tortured insanity As the horror of it all burst over him he rushed out into the gathering twilight threw himself onto the horse and rode him mercilessly away from the place A short distance from the camp he reined up involuntarily and listened A low moaning wail floated out from the pines it grew into a vibrating indescribable unearthly shriek so great in volume that it seemed to fill the whole valley then died away in a thin horrible hellish wail followed by a half human half inhuman cry of utter sorrow The cowboy was frozen stiff with terror his hair straightened and cold beads of perspiration stood out on his face The horse crouching and shivering with the same fear seemed riveted to the spot but when he finally burst away he seemed to fly and it was miles before either the man or the beast recovered from the terror the cry had instilled to slacken the terrific pace |